abl wrote:Labeling Chicago as a "Top 4" school is somewhat misleading -- if we're talking about schools as "top x schools," honestly, Chicago is a "top 6" school and Harvard is a "top 3" school. You don't really have a #3 versus #4 comparison. Put another way, the reputation and practical differences between Harvard (USN #3) and Chicago (USN #4) is greater than between Chicago (USN #4) and Duke (USN #11). (And this in no way to denigrate U of C, which is a phenomenal school, better than all but a handful of schools, and has a number of things going for it over Harvard--its intensity, size, and the quarter system, to count just a few.

Seriously, OP go to H. It is better for all of the reasons mentioned (DC placement, non-big law placement). If you wanted to go to a non-East coast market for biglaw, and you had at least 30k more money, I would recommend Chicago.

Last edited by TaipeiMort on Tue Jul 02, 2013 2:16 am, edited 1 time in total.

TaipeiMort wrote:Seriously, OP go to H. It is better for all of the reasons mentioned (DC placement, non-big law placement). If you wanted to go to a non-East coast market for biglaw, and you had at least 30k more money, I would recommend Chicago.

abl wrote:U of C ... has a number of things going for it ... --its intensity

wut

I'm not saying I personally see that as a plus -- but some (justifiably) will. Ditto the quarter system and the size -- they're going to be pretty substantial advantages for some, disadvantages for others.

abl wrote:U of C ... has a number of things going for it ... --its intensity

wut

I'm not saying I personally see that as a plus -- but some (justifiably) will. Ditto the quarter system and the size -- they're going to be pretty substantial advantages for some, disadvantages for others.

What's the justification for intensity/RIGOR? You're going to be competing with the same students anyway. I don't understand how RIGOR benefits (or really harms) anyone. I do understand how it would be annoying, though.

Lulz. I feel no obligation to hate UChi (...yet). Outside of NYC and Chicago, they'll be viewed evenly. When I say I hope UChi keeps its medians up after the Rubys are gone, I DO actually mean it. The only thing CLS is better for is name-dropping to impress drunk twentysomething girls in bars.

I'm saving my anger for the NYU kids who claim with a straight face it's better to be there for someone targeting Biglaw, at equal cost. If I had to bet on whose LSAT median is dropping this cycle, I'd bet NYU second (after NU). I can't say I wouldn't enjoy seeing that at least a little. I recognize "HYSC" as a flame every time I see it, even if I wish it weren't true (Stanford and CLS were peer schools 30 years ago). It just irks me when people use an arbitrary cutoff to designate themselves, thereby outing themselves via their arrogance. "I go to a top twelve school"--glad you like Northwestern, buddy, but I don't know who you think you're fooling.